“This is what I do every day. This is my passion,” said Kim McCloud, Hamburg native and professional nail technician. “This is my calling. This is what I want to do.”
McCloud is working to open a School of Nail Technology here in Pennsylvania. In order to do that and accomplish her goal, she has been working with her state legislator Representative Mike Tobash as well as Wayne Crawford, Majority Executive Director of the Professional Licensure Committee. A large part of what McCloud is pushing for with the bill that would need to be written is for increased hours of training for licensure in nail technology.
“During the past 20 years, Pennsylvania has required a mere 200 hours of training for licensure in nail technology,” she explained in a release. “This is inadequate, particularly in light of the significant increase of material covered in the curriculum in the past 16 years. Other states require significantly more hours: Alabama requires 750; Arkansas requires 750. Further, 10 states do not offer licensing reciprocity with Pennsylvania due to the law requirement of hours.”
McCloud explained that the book used by most nail and beauty schools was 266 pages in 1997 and today is 560 pages, though the hours needed in Pennsylvania have not changed. She believes that the increased hours are needed so teach nail technicians have the skills and knowledge to not only create the best of the best in nails, but to also cater and take care of the customers to the best of their ability.
Not only would the increase in hours help the students better learn the techniques and health side of the career, but it would also make the courses available to more people.
“Increasing the number of hours would also create jobs. Currently a Pennsylvania student must take a course of study of at least 600 hours to qualify to receive Federal Student Aid,” said McCloud. “Students hoping to complete a 200 hour course of study in nail technology are, therefore, unable to apply for financial support.”
She continued, “Increasing the hours of training to 650 would enable a student to apply for financial support to learn a highly respected trade in an ever-expanding industry that is offering services in medi-spas, podiatrists’ offices and health spas.”
The breakdown of the 650 hours that she would like to see is 300 book hours and 350 practicing hours. For the students to learn the whole part of the job, the practicing hours would include customers coming in similar to how technology schools offer haircuts from students.
“We really pamper [the customers]. That’s what this industry is all about,” she said. “I want to fight to get this industry back.”
McCloud has been studying the art and science of nail technology and servicing customers in salons for 25 years and has a clear passion for the career and a drive to open a school that will allow her to offer all that she has learned to willing students. Since 1989, she said that she has seen a huge change in the standards in the nail industry and would like to see that get back to what it used to be. She wants to make sure her students know all there is to know about the surface they are painting and the health side as well as the “pretty” part of the industry.
“Well-groomed nails are an important part of a person’s overall appearance,” said McCloud. “This dream is still burning inside of me.”
Shortly after the interview, McCloud was contacted by Senator David Argall and was informed that he will be looking at the proposal as well.
Currently, McCloud is employed at the Bell Tower Salon & Spa in Wyomissing and is proficient in all services pertaining to nails.
As she waits for more from Tobash, Crawford and Argall in regards to the bill, she will continue to follow her passion and do all that she can to see her dream of opening a school come true.
